Spark-retarding mechanism



July 29, 1930. J. c. COHEE 1,771,617

I SPARK RETARDING MECHANISM h, Flled May 51 1928 2 Qheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jsse C. Cobee.

ATTORIIEY July 29, 1930. J' COHEE 1,771,617

' SPARK RETARDING MECHANISM FiledMay 51, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 X INVENTOR 12 e. esse C. Cofiea' ATTORNEY 1 Patented July 29, 1930 1,771,617 i ums PATENT,WERE-Y"? Jnssno. (Jones, 01? KENT, wasmneron i sPAnnnETAnmne E HA ISM.

Application filed my 31, 1928.] Serial No. 281,944.

the ii'idependently operable spark control and illustration. 1 electric starting mechanisms of internal oom- Fig. 4 is a similar VieW with the several" bustion engines and aims primarly to 518- parts shownin a-full spark retardedpOsitiOnQfi 5 sociate and inter-relatesuch mechanisms in .Fig. 5 is a section taken through 5"5 of 3 such a manner to effectually and positively Fig. 3, with the parts in a full spark adprevent starting'of such engines with their vanced positionin full linesand in a fnll" spark control mechanisms in advanced posi spark retarded position in dot and dash lines. tions, thus minimizing the tendencyof baok- Fig. 6 is asectiontaken through-6 6 of '10 firing on starting andfthe consequent damage Fig. 2, with the parts in a full spark adto the starting mechanisms. ordinarily resultvanced position in full lines and ina full); ing' therefrom. I r p t spark retarded position in dot and dash lines; Contemplated by the present invention is but with the starter switch of the electric This invention relates to improvements in thereof being" shown in section for clarity of a spark retarding mechanism, whereby the starting7 mechanism open. r

engine equipped therewith can only be started Fig. is a similar section with the parts in 55 K when its distributor mechanism is in a a full spark retardedposition and with the fully retarded position, which is especially Starter switch closed. I W 1 designed 'to be interposed between the hand 'F g. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal section, operated spark controtrod of the engine and a en through '88 of F ig. 1 with the disthe'eorrelated distributor thereof,andwhich tribntor arm in 'a full spark advanced posi-. 79 is adapted to be actuated by meansfor closing 1 1} 111 full lines and a full spark retarded the'circnit ofthe starting motor, to fully reposition in-do n'd a lilleS- 7 v 1' tard the spark prior to the closing of said cirg 9 a fragmentary perspective View: cuit, all of which are important objects of the 9 it shghtly modified type of spark retard- 251, invention and are to be correlated in the broad g P' Q M mJ aim of enhancing the efiiciency of the mechag 10 is a similar View of still another nisnqfqr general a mod fied type of spark retarding mechanism.

The above and additional objects which Flg-lllfi a flagmentary side elevation, will b h i after more specifically treated, partly in section, of a slightly modified type are attained by such means asare shown in f spring mechanism for returning the spark in the accompanyingdrawings, described in the retarding mechanism to an advancedpo i l following specification and then more clearly following actuation thereof, and a I pointed out in the claims, which are appended Fig. 12 is a transversesection taken-throiigh hereto, and form a part ofthis application. 0 1212 ofFig. 11. V i t 1 w: dw

1 With reference to thedrawings in which Before taking up the detailed description 1 there are illustrated several embodimentsof of the drawings, a general exposit ionj of they the invention, and throughout the several specific purposes, features, and functions'of views of which like characters of reference the spark retarding mechanism evolved by designate similar parts. a the present invention will be undertaken.

Figure lis a fragmentary perspective view With the present independently operable? of an automotive vehieleiequipp'ed with the spark control and electrio starting mecha spark retarding mechanism comprehended by nisms of internal' combustion engines for anth present invention. j tomotive vehicles, it frequently occursthat'a ,Fi'g.-w2 is an enlarged side elevation of the vehicle operator, especiallyin:densqtraificdrJ spark .aretarding mechanism, in aninactive underother'congestedlconditions,intheevent position, as it would'appear when its cor-"his vehicle stalls, will attempt to starthis e related: distributor meohan'i'sm is in a full ginewith the spark control:mchanismhinfsa Fj spark advanced position. E full advanced position, resulting fin -many :Fig. 3j'isanend elevation of thesame in instances in back-firing of the engine which a full spark'advanced position, certain parts is very injurious to the starting mechanism" causing as itdoes breakage of starter parts, stripping of gears and other damage to the engine. Further, it frequently occurs, especially with student operators or beginners, that such operators will forget and omit to advance the spark control mechanism after starting of. the engine, and in consequence will drive long distances with the spark control mechanism in a full or substantially retarded position, thereby causing undue heating of the engine and resulting in considerable and sometimes irreparable damage to the engine blocks. I am fully' awar'e'that automatic spark retarding mechanisms have heretofore been employed in the distributors of automotive vehicle engines, but such mechanisms did not-provide for a full and,

complete spark retardingmo'vement during starting periods, anda further objection and disadvantage of said mechanisms is that it is necessary for the engineto attain considerable speed before the automatic-spark mechanism will function to advance thespark, in

other words advancing of the sparkis submuch'as the spark control mechanism is ausequent to the picking up of speed of the engine. It is, therefore, a primary objecto't the presenteinvention to associate and'interrelate the spark control and electric startingmechanism of an automotivevehicle engine, in such a manner, that starting of such engine cannot be effected or secured unlessthe spark control mechanism is in a full retarded position, thus effectually and positively preventing-back-firing of the engine and breakage or damage to the starter, orother .cor-

related engine parts. A further primary object is to. obviate and prevent aninexperienced operator from driving any distance with his sparkcontrol mechanism in a retarded or partially retarded position, inastomatically advanced immediately upon starting of the engine, thereby eliminating or materiallyreducing undue heating of the engine from this cause. A still further primary obje'ct is to positively secure advancement of the spark control mechanism prior to the speeding or pick up of the engine, which advancement is immediately and auto- I matically obtained upon starting of the enhighly desirable. I

Beginning the more detaileddescription by reference to the accompanying drawings, thenume'ral'f15"'designates an automotive vehicle having a steering po'st1'6; within which is mounted an oscillative spark control rod 17' provided'at its upper" projecting end with a hand-operated sparklever. 18'-and at its ower projecting end with an arm or lever 19, to'which is pivotally connected an adjustable'rod 20 ha'ving'atubular outer terminal portion 21,- witl'iin'which is slidably gine; this pertinent and.' novel feature is disposed for" axial movement a springressed-"rod 22'; pivotally connected" at its outer or opposite end to a spark control bell crank 23mountedfor oscillative movement upon a fixed portion 24 of the vehicle. The bell crank 23 is connected by a transversely disposed rod 25 to an arm 26 of a distributor 27 interposed in the ignition system of the vehicle, whereby said distributor may be oscillated between full spark advanced and full spark retarded positions, and for this purpose the arm 26 is provided with an arcuate slot 28, wherethrough a pin 29 extends, which pin is rigidly secured to a fixed portion 30 of the vehicle, which also functions as a bearing for the rotative shaft 31 of the distributor. It will thus be obvious and apparent that the slot 28 and pin 29 effectually and positively limit oscillative movements of the distributor 27 between full advanced and full retarded positions.

Pivotally connected to the spring-pressed rod 22 is one arm of a bell crank 32, which latter ismounted for oscillative movement upon a fixed portion 33 of the vehicle, and similarly connected to the other arm of said bell crank is a rearwardly'extending longitudinally disposed adjustable rod 34 having a tubular rear terminal portion 35, within which is slidably disposed for axial movement a spring-pressed rod 36, which extends rearwardly therefrom in axial prolongation there-to and at its rear end is pivotally connected to one end of a foot actuated pedal 37 oscillatively mountedv substantially midway of its length upon the sloping foot board 38 of the vehicle in proximity to the vehicle starting switch 39, said'pedal preferably having-a disk 40 of insulating material rigidly secured upon the underside adjacent to its outer or free end, which latter is normally maintained in spaced superimposed relation with respect to the starting switch 39, as indicated in full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, so that when the pedal 37 is depressed by the foot of the operator, as shown in dotand dash lines in Fig. 6 and full lines in, Fig. 7, said pedal will contact with and actuate or close such switch and thereby start the engine. r V

For reasons-hereinafter apparent, it is to be'h'e're noted that the spring of the springpressed rod 22 should be relatively light,

- while the spring of the spring-pressed rod ;,dash lines insaid figure l/Vhenthe arm 26' has IGaChGdltS limit ofmovement'as above lightest spring compressessame and is caused to move outwardly in its :tubular terminal 21 and thereby impart oscillativemovement to the' spark control bell :crank 23, which causes longitudinal. movement of the trans- 1 verse rod 25,:wliereby the distributor arm 26 isoscillated from its full spark advanced position shown in full lines in Fig. 8 to its full spark retarded position shown in dot and described, the pedali37 is substantially in the position indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 6, the starter switch 39being still 153013811, so that continued depression of such pedal, will compress the spring of the rod 36 and the latter willmove outwardly from its tubular casing to permit the pedal 37 toassume the position indicated in Fig. where at'the switch 331s closed to start theiengine,

whereupon the operator removes his foot fromthe pedal 37 .and the springs "of the rods 22 and 36 automatically return the mechanismtothe full spark advanced posi zsction indicated in full linesin the drawings.

It is to be here noted, during starting of the engine in themanner just described, that the arm 19 and correlated :rod20 and casing 21 remaininactive, l1owever, if-' at anytimeit is 3hr: desired to retard the spark bythehand operatedlever 1 8j'such lever isactuated in the usualzinanner' to oscillate-the arm 19,

which in turn imparts movement to the bell crank 23, through the media of the rods 20 ;and

22, substantially in tlie identical manner, as though said arm and bell crank were interconnected with a solidsingle rod, thus it will be manifest and apparent that the present, improved spark retarding mecha- 4Qtgnism does not interfere in any way with the functioning of the hand operated control 18.

in the slightly modified type of spark retarding mechanism disclosed in Fig. 9, the hell crank 32 is omitted and the actuating Lpedal 37 is disposed upon the opposite side of the starter switch. 39, which necessitates attaching the forward end of the adjustable rod 34 to an arm 41 rigidly secured to the distributor 27, whereby depression of the .Lpedal '37 will directly oscillate such distributor from a full spark advanced position, prior to the closing of the switch 39. i

In the slightly modified type of spark retarding mechanism shown in Fig. 10, the

. ladjustable rod 20 and spring-pressed rod 22 are omitted and a solid rod 42 is substituted therefor, to which is connected the bell crank 32, a relatively light helical spring 43 connected at one end to the arm 19 of the spark Icontrol rod 17 and at its opposite end to a fixed portion 44 of the vehicle serves and functions thereat to return the arm 19 to a normally advanced position following starting of the engine.

In Figs. 11 and 12, I have shown a spiral type of spring 45 enclosed in a casing .46 1 rigidly secured to afixedzportion 47 oft-hevehicle, which spring may be substituted for thehelical spring 43, above' described, and

functions to return the arm 19- to a normal spark .lClVELIlCG-d pOsltlOna.

FManifestly, therefore, automo ive vehicles equippedwith the present mechanismmaybe efiiciently and safely. started by student driv er s, withoutany fear of damaging the en-- gines thereof, i'nasmuchas thespark cone trolling mechanisms. being automatically:

retarded prior to the startingof their en E r gin es' and similarly advanced subsequent to starting, will prevent back firingof the en- I v 8011. Further with such automatic actuaw tion of the spark controlling mechanisms student *drivers and beginners may devote their entire attention to the careian'dsteer:

tion-is extremely simple,durable-and eco 5 nomical in construction, is convenientto :use,

is efiicienu positive and reliable in operation, will not readily get ,outjof order, and will notipermit starting of its correlated internal combustion engine; when the f diStIibLltOrfl InGChLIl1S111 bhBIQOfJs n an advanced ipos l -qfl tiona i While I have 1 myinvention with sufficient detail'to enable those skilled in. the art to understand the, mode .of construction and the-principles inivolved, it is to :bennderstood ,thatthere is cific form and precisedetails of construction.

of the invention herein shown and described,

except as expressly defined by the appended claims, andthat various modifications of said no intentional limitation herein ,to the speconstruction maybe resorted to without departing from the. invention,,or the benefits derivable therefrom. I also desire to have understood that: contain 5 features of the .in: Q

vention herein, disclosed may be employed in Having thus fully described myinvencure by Letters Patent is? 1. The combination with the mechanism and] the starting motorQswitch of an internal combustion engine; ,oflmeans other combinations than those fhereinshown.

a 1 a 11%? t on, what I 'ClfillIl'fiSllBW andv desiretosespark control connected to the control mechanism and operable primarily to move-thesameto full spark J retarded positionand thentoabut and closicisaid switch, comprising a pedalhaving one";

en dther eof oyerlyingsaid switch normal spaced relation thereto, aIspring-pressed tele;

scopic rod connected at its rear end 'tojthe', opposite end of said pedalj, an operative con nection between the forward end of said tele l scopic rod and said spark control mechanism; T

s of said telescopic rod.

2. The combination with the spark con and hand actuatedmeans for retarding said control mechanism independently of said pedal including a spring retracted rod the spring of which is light relative to the spring rpressed telescopic rod connected at its rear end to the opposite end of said pedal including a relatively heavy compression spring,

an operative connection between the forward end of said telescopic rod and said spark con- :trol mechanism, and hand actuated means for retarding said spark-control mechanism independently of said pedal including a telescopic spring-pressed rodhaving a relatively lightcompression spring. V i

3. The combination with the spark con trol mechanism and the starting motor switch of an internal combustion engine; of

means connected to the control; mechanism and operable primarily to move the same to full spark retarded position and then to abut and close said switch, comprising a. pedal hav-' ing one end thereof overlying said switch in normal spaced relation thereto, a longitudinally adjustable spring-pressed telescopic 'v'rod connected at its rear end to the opposite end of said pedal, hand actuated means for retarding said spark control mechanism independently of said pedal, and means operatively interconnecting the forward end of 'said telescopic rod with said hand actuated means and said spark control mechanism.

4, lhe combination with the spark control mechanisnrand the starting motor switch of an internal combustion engine; of means connected to the control mechanism and operable primarily to move the same to full spark retarded position and then to abut and close said switch, comprising'a pedal having one end thereof overlying said switch in normal "spaced'relation thereto, a spring-pressed telescopic rod connected at its rear end to the opposite end of said pedal, handactuated means for retarding said spark control mechni m i d pende y of said pedal incl ding aspring-pressed telescopic rod, a bell crank mterconnectmg sa d telescopic rods, and

means for interconnecting said last named telescopic rod with the spark control mechamsm;

5, The combination with the spark control mechanism and the starting motor switch ofan internal combustion engine; of means connected to the control mechanism and operableuprimarilyuto move the same to full sparkretarded position and then to abut and close said switch, comprising a pedal having oneend thereof overlying said switch in normal spaced relation'thereto, a spring-pressed telescopic rod connected at its rear end to the opposite end of said pedal and having a relatively heavy compression spring, hand actuated means for retarding said spark control mechanism independently of said pedal including a spring-pressed telescopic rod having a relatively light compression spring, means for interconnecting the adjacent ends of said telescopic rods, and means for connecting the second mentioned-telescopic rod to the spark'control mechanism.

6. Thecombination with the spark control mechanism and the starting motor switch of an internal combustionengine; of means connected to the control mechanism and open able primarily to move the same to full spark retarded position and then to abut and close said switch, comprising a pedal having one' end thereof overlying said switch in normal spaced relation thereto, a spring-pressed telescopicrod connected at its rear end to the opposite end of said pedal, hand actuated means for retarding said spark control mechanism'independently. of said pedal including a spring-pressed telescopic rod,-means for interconnecting the forward end of the first mentioned telescopic rod with the inner end portion of said last mentioned telescopic rod,

7 a bell crank pivotally connected to the inner terminal of the latter, and a rod connecting said bell crank with the spark control mechamsm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

- JESSE C. COHEE. 

